Pet It Out: So Much More Than A Physics Puzzler

If there’s one genre of application for the iPhone that’s been more overplayed than the physics puzzler, we don’t know what it is. After you’ve slogged through all the Angry Birds clones and Fruit Ninja variants, it might feel as if you’re stuck in a real desert of lackluster innovations and re-hashed gameplay. If that at all sounds familiar, then we think we have the insta-fix you’ve been waiting for: Pet It Out, by developer Candango, is the first title we’ve seen in a long time to offer genuine innovation on the finger-flicking puzzler. It has a heap of levels, unique gameplay variations, and a host of cute critters, making it an excellent value for the dollar it costs in the App Store.

Concept and Gameplay

At first blush, the gameplay offered by Pet It Out might look like nothing more than a run-of-the-mill Angry Birds clone: It certainly bears a lot of similarities, as players are charged with launching adorable critters high into the air using a finger and a physics based catapulting system. However, that’s really where the similarities end, aside from sheer quality. What Pet It Out offers instead of a straight clone experience is a unique blending of platformer gaming and physics-based puzzling. Users must guide a set of adorable pets from one end of the level to the other, guiding them with the aforementioned finger-flicking technique. Various obstacles attempt to block the player’s path, leading to some intense moments of estimated trajectory and timing. Even better, there’s a small host of items that can be collected along the way to maximize the player’s score, including five stars and a trophy. Earning all of these bonuses adds another breadth of replay to the value of Pet It Out, making it an even more engaging experience.

Design and Graphics

Pet It Out for iPhone

As solid as the gameplay as, however, we’re just as enamored with the graphics and design. The artwork of the levels themselves reminded us a lot of ye olden Kirby games for the Gameboy Color: They even maintain the same cutesy atmosphere. However, there’s a wealth of complexity tucked into those rosy cheeks. Levels must be navigated exactly, and as each of the 7 pets comes with a unique strategy element, there’s an impressive amount of richness to this seemingly docile iPhone title.

Overall Value

Best of all, Pet It Out is only a dollar in the App Store. For that money, players can enjoy a whopping 150 levels with the full spread of all 7 pets. Not to mention the fact that the developers have promised even more levels and characters are on the way: All delivered for free, of course. All in all, Pet It Out is an incredible genre-bender and an innovative, engaging experience. If you’re a fan of iOS games in general, regardless of physics orientation, this is a must-have.

Pet It Out requires iOS 3.2 or later and is compatible with iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. A small expedite fee was paid by the developer to speed up the publication of this review.